A Town Called City, The Journal of Gilly
by Gilly Jill
Summary: As a late birthday gift, the parents of a teen named Gilly give her a bus ticket to a sleepy little town named GemCity. The former city girl keeps a journal of her adventures as she meets new friends and maybe- just maybe- falls in love. Rated T for safe.
1. A Ticket to the Future

**Hello all!**

**My first Animal Crossing story, this one is based off of the game I had to restart due to our old Wii crashing: Animal Crossing: City Folk.**

***sigh* I lost everything I had done in the game, but with it, I got a great idea. I started a new game, and this new series based on my game.**

**Obviously, it will be a little different than the actual game, because I'm going to add drama, but the town's layout, name, and villagers are all based on the game.**

**I will probably not be updating this everyday, so that means the date will be a little off, but that doesn't matter, since I'm just going to go day by day, no matter what day it is in real life. This is Gilly's story, not mine.**

**Man, that sounds odd, since my nickname is Gilly in real life. xD**

**I hope you enjoy!**

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><p>July 14th, 2011<p>

Hello Journal, my name is Gilly.

You, my friend, are a birthday present to me. You, a romance novel, and a bus ticket to a new life. Of course, I suppose if what my mother says is true and I will want to look back on the "memories" then I suppose I should rewind and tell you why I received these three gifts.

For starters, I live- well, used to live in the city with my mother, father, and my little sister Megan. My birthday was actually a little less than ten months ago, but my parents aren't always too good at keeping track of time. They're both authors, my dad a mystery novelist, and my mom a romance novelist. They keep their heads up in the clouds nearly 24/7 and it's difficult to be myself when everyone is always shoving stereotypes on my head.

"Do you want to be a writer, just like your parents?" They ask.

"I don't know." I reply, "I don't know what I want to be."

And that's the truth, Journal. I have no idea who I am- much less who I want to be. With parents like mine, I had to be the level-headed one. My sister was no help either, really.

"Oh, you must know everything!" They exclaim. "With parents as smart as yours!"

But I _don't_ know everything! Should I? I don't even know who I am!

I'm getting ahead of myself again, Journal. I need to work on that.

Three days ago, my mom came up to my bedroom at ten o' clock, just as I was about to go to bed. She looked at me with solemn blue eyes and told me that she and dad had been "talking".

"Uh oh." I said, "What about?"

"Well," She paused, pursing her lips, "We think you aren't as happy here as you should be."

Oh. That wasn't what I had been expecting.

"I don't feel unhappy." I remarked.

"Yes, but you aren't exactly 'happy'…" she paused. "Right?"

"I suppose." I replied.

"I know you're destined to do great things, Gilly. But not here."

I was stunned by her honesty. "You're my mom," I said with a slight grin, "You're supposed to say stuff like that."

"True, but this time I mean it." She stated with a nod.

"This time?" I asked with a chuckle.

She laughed too. "Yeah. But back to the subject at hand. You aren't happy here. You aren't unhappy. You're…" She paused, searching for the right word, "Indifferent. Do you know who you want to be?"

"I…well…" I stammered, "No." I sighed.

"I think the city is a terrible place to grow dreams." She smiled, "You wonder why I never set my novels in the city, and that's why. People say the city is the place to become somebody, but often people are lost in the hustle and bustle. You need a clean slate to draw on, honey."

"I'm a terrible artist." I joked, trying to lighten the mood that my mom had thrown a dark cloud over.

"You know what I mean." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small slip of paper. "This is a late birthday gift." She handed it to me.

"Ten months late, mom." I smirked, but when I saw what the slip was, my smirk faded. "A bus ticket?"

"To GemCity." She added.

"But you hate the city!" I argued, thoroughly confused.

"It's not a city, Gilly." She pulled out a map. "It's a town in the country."

"It's a town called a city?" I asked, still confused.

"Yes." She smiled. "The mayor is… a little off his rocker. Apparently, he changed the name because he thought GemCity was more appealing than GemTown, which was what it used to be."

"So… it deceives people into moving there?" I raised an eyebrow. "Thanks, but no thanks."

My mom laughed. "It's a nice place, Gilly. It's inhabited by animals."

I blinked. "Animals? It's an Animal Town?"

"No. It's an Amphitown. It _used _to be an Animal Town. You will be the first human to move there." She smiled. "The ticket was cheap, and there is a nice house available. It's small, but it should be enough for one person."

Now I need to stop and explain something, Journal. Seeing as you are a Journal, I assume you don't know what an Amphitown is. It's a new idea in our world. For the longest time, there were four types of places- Human Cities, Human Towns, Animal Cities, and Animal Towns. However, recently a new type of place began appearing. Amphitowns. Towns for both Humans and Animals.

It was radical, it was new, and it was unknown.

"So… I'm a Guinea pig for this town?" I asked, shocked.

"Well… I suppose. Hopefully, more people will move in soon, but for now you'll be the only one." Seeing my terrified look, she rested her hand on my leg and smiled. "It's a beautiful place. I went there before you were born for inspiration to write my first novel. I've always dreamed of living there, even before it became an Amphitown." She smiled, a faraway look forming in her eyes.

"Oh. Well, didn't you want to push the mayor to let you live there if you loved it so much?" I knew my mother, so I knew she wouldn't give up on a place she loved just because it was an Animal town at the time.

"Well, I met your father, and he loves this city. I love him more than GemCity, honestly, and so I wouldn't take him away from this place to be where _I_ want to be." She closed her eyes, "But I could live vicariously through you."

"Aw man!" I started, smiling to make sure she knew I was joking, "Now I have to go!"

"Oh, honey, don't feel like that." She looked up at me apologetically, not catching the joke.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding." I thought hard for a minute.

Did I really want to go? Did I want a clean slate? Would I be happy there? Questions swarmed my mind like a bees in an active hive. Would I make friends? Would I find out who I am there?

Suddenly, a thought struck me.

A clean slate. I didn't know anyone. No one knew me. No one knew Megan. No one knew my parents.

Oh my gosh. No one knew my parents.

_No one knew my parents!_

I wouldn't have to love literature the way my parents do! I wouldn't have to be smart, or keep a notebook with me at all times like them! I wouldn't have to be what everyone in the city expected me to be!

"…Okay. I'll move there " I said, trying to keep the excitement out of my voice.

"Really? This is a big decision! Are you sure?" My mom asked in surprise. It turned out she hadn't expected me to agree.

"Certain. But you need to keep in touch with me, okay?" I replied.

"Oh, definitely!" She exclaimed, "Every chance I get, I'll send you a letter!"

"Great." I smiled.

"There's two more things I need to give you." She headed out the door, and came back moments later with a book and a journal.

If you haven't caught on yet, the journal was you.

"I want you to keep a journal of your life there. You don't have to write in it every day if you don't want to, but I want to hear your thoughts about GemCity. And remember, if you hate it there, send us a letter and we'll bring you home. ASAP. Promise. But please give it a week for me. Okay?"

"Sure." I replied, "Now what's the book?"

"The book," She started, handing it to me, "Is a copy of my first novel. The one I wrote based on GemCity. I want you to read it."

The book was obviously a little old, and it had a picture of a red apple on the front, looking as if it had just fallen from a tall tree. The book had the words _An Apple Fall _in red cursive letters on its cover.

"Alright. Can I ask two questions, though?"

"Fire away." My mom said with a smile.

"First, why did you give me all this now?"

"Well, you know how we didn't really get to celebrate your birthday since we were away on business. This is a late birthday gift." She clarified.

"Okay." I said, cringing at the mention of that weekend. Babysitting Megan for my birthday. It wasn't fun.

"Second question?"

"When am I leaving?" I smiled.

And the rest, as they say, Journal, is history. Up until now, of course.

Now, I'm sitting on a bus going to GemCity, writing my first entry inside you. It's been a hectic three days. Apparently, my dad got me a part time job there too. To get me started, he says. It's for some guy named Tom Nook. Apparently, according to my dad, he's the best in the General Store business.

I also got to see who else lives in GemCity. Can you believe it, Journal, only _eleven _animals live there. Plus me, there are twelve residents in the town right now. Talk about tiny!

My mom told me that's a good thing, since I'll be sure to know everyone. Ha. Is it bad I'm having second thoughts?

Oh, it's my stop. We're here, Journal. I'm so nervous! Well, write in you tomorrow, I guess. Wish me luck in my new life!

Terrified,

Gilly


	2. Welcome to GemCity

**Hello guys!**

**This is chapter two- July 15th. It's twice as long as last chapter! I think it's the longest chapter of anything I've ever written!**

**Woot, personal record! :D**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>July 15th, 2011<p>

Dear Journal,

I realized yesterday how stupid of me it was to write in you in the middle of the day. Now I have to write extra to get you caught up on what happened today _and _yesterday.

Where was I? Oh yes, getting off the bus. I stepped onto the grass off the concrete ramp that was the bus stop and breathed in the country air.

"Now," I said to myself under my breath, "To the town hall."

"You're looking for, like, the town hall? I can take you there, niblet!" cried a voice from behind me.

I whirled around to face a squirrel. She was a few inches shorter than me and she had huge eyes with tiny pupils, making her look crazed. Her teal fur was contrasted by long yellow stripes down her back and over her bushy tail and she had a spray of- I'm not making this up- _white _freckles. But the oddest thing about her was her huge buck teeth.

"I'm Nibbles! What's your, like, name, niblet?" She exclaimed, grabbing my hand and shaking it hard.

"Uh, Gilly…" I replied, overwhelmed by her energy.

"Gilly…" she trailed off, dropping my hand and stroking her chin like a detective. "Now where have I heard that, like, name…?"

"Well," I started, but was promptly cut off by Nibbles shouting, "SHUSH! I will, like, figure it out myself! Now, it's on the tip of my, like, teeth…"

I opened my mouth to tell her that the expression was "Tip of my tongue" not "Tip of my teeth" and that she didn't have to say "like" all the time when she cut off my thoughts yet again.

"A-HA! I, like, know who you are! You're, like, the new girl! The first human in GemCity!" She blinked at me expectantly.

"Wait, you didn't realize until just now that I was a human?" I asked, bewildered.

"Like, of course not, niblet!" and with that she grabbed my hand and began dragging me somewhere.

"Uh, where are we going?" I shouted nervously. I did not want to be dragged somewhere by this peppy squirrel-thing.

"To, like, the town hall, niblet!" She answered, not stopping her pace, "Duh!"

She dragged me to a big brown building with a clock tower on the top. There was a billboard announcing a "bug-off" or something in two days right next to it.

"Here we are niblet!" She cried.

"Okay." I said, opening the door. "Thanks for showing it to me, squir- I mean, Nibbles."

"No, like, problem, niblet!" Nibbles grinned at me, showing off her oversized front teeth even more. She saluted to me. "Just, like, call me if you need anything!"

I stepped inside the Town Hall, feeling rather relieved I didn't have to deal with that crazy Squirrel anymore.

"Hello?" I called.

"What's your favorite animal of the following!" Someone shouted at me. "Cat, raccoon, turtle, or pelican?"

"Huh?" I cried.

I looked around, but saw no one.

"Hello? Who said that?" I yelled out again, stepping inside a little more.

I heard another voice. "Mr. Tortimer," it started quietly, "If you want to talk to the villager, you need to come out of your office first."

There was a rustling of papers and a pelican poked her head out from behind a door.

"I'm terribly sorry about that. Our mayor wants to speak with you." She said, bowing.

Suddenly, an old turtle hobbled out of the room the pelican had just come from. He walked the front counter that the pelican was standing behind and came to face me.

"Well, what's your answer? Cat, raccoon, turtle, or pelican?" He said in a shaky voice.

"Er-um…Raccoon?" I answered in uncertainty.

The turtle paused, still smiling, for a second, and suddenly, his face fell.

"Kids these days-" he muttered, shuffling back into the room from which he came.

"'Um… what did I say?" I asked myself, but the pelican heard me.

"Oh, nothing, Mayor Tortimer is just a little sensitive. Now, you must be Gilly, right?" The pelican said with a smile, something I didn't realize birds could have. "I'm Pelly. I run the town hall's main desk in the day and my sister, Phyllis, runs it at night. It's an honor to meet you finally."

"An honor? I didn't think it was that special." I remarked.

"Well, you're the first human I've ever met personally." Pelly chuckled. "Now, take this map. I've marked your home in red. When you get there, your new employer, Tom Nook, should be waiting for you. You two need to talk payment."

I blinked. "Payment?"

"Yes. I thought you knew your parents took out a loan to pay for your house." Pelly looked at me with a questioning look in her eyes, "You owe 19,800 bells."

"Er… um…. I need to make a call. Can I use a phone?" I said, shocked.

Pelly nodded and handed me an old yellow phone.

"Thanks." I said.

I dialed my parent's number numbly. It rang three times and then I heard, "Hello?"

"Megan? Can I speak to dad?" I mumbled into the phone.

"Dad's out right now." Megan replied.

"OK, can I speak to mom then?"

"Sure." There was a click and the sound of rustling.

"Honey?" My mom came on.

"Mom… Nineteen THOUSAND bells?" I exclaimed.

"Huh?"

"I owe nineteen THOUSAND bells?" I specified.

"Oh dear, we forgot to tell you about that, huh?"

"NO KIDDING."

For the next half-hour, my mother proceeded to tell me that, in order to get used to living on my own and the responsibilities of an adult and such, I needed to pay for my own house.

"Wasn't it a birthday present?" I asked in horror.

"The bus ticket was, not the house….oh I'm so sorry we didn't tell you this before, honey!" My mom apologized, "But your father got you that part time job at Nook's, so I'm sure you'll pay it off in no time!"

"Ok. Bye mom."

"Bye sweetie."

I put down the phone, in shock.

"Are you alright?" Pelly asked.

"Yeah…yeah I'm fine."

After some paper-signing, I was on my way to see the house I would have to pay 19,800 bells for. I opened my map, and had my nose buried in it, not wanting to get lost along the way when I bumped into something and felt water droplets hit my hair.

"Oh!" cried a voice from in front of me.

I put down my map and saw…a little gray cat. She was holding a watering can in her gray paw- which explained where the water droplets came from- and she was wearing a pink plaid summer dress.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, bonbon!" She cried, putting down her watering can. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." I said with a hopefully reassuring smile.

"Oh good." She stuck out her paw. "I'm Lolly. You must be new in town. Your name was…Gilly, wasn't it, bonbon?"

"I must be famous around here." I remarked.

"Well, we've all been excited for the arrival of the first human. Hopefully not the last either." Lolly clarified.

"Oh. Well, it was nice meeting you, Lolly." I said, "I should probably get going- moving in to do and all."

"Of course, bonbon. If you need anything, just give me a call." She smiled.

"Right." I said.

As I walked away, I realized how remarkably similar Lolly's offer had been to Nibbles'. I guess all of the viallagers here are friendly.

I found my house relatively easily after that. It was tiny, but I figured I'd be able to manage. It had a bright red roof that matched the color of the mailbox. It was homely looking- kind of like the cottages you hear about in all the fairy tales. I looked around but saw no sign of my employer, Tom Nook. So, I decided to take a look inside.

Using the key Pelly had given me, I opened the door into my new house. It smelled like new paint and candle wax, the latter scent confusing me until I saw what was inside the house. There were three furniture items inside. A cardboard box, an old-looking CD player, and a candle that, by the looks of it, was used.

"Huh. It's…" I paused, "nice, I guess."

I opened the door, meaning to look for Tom Nook some more when suddenly, out of nowhere, I heard a voice.

"Ah, hello, you must be Gilly!"

I turned to see a raccoon with a blue apron on. The apron had the image of a maple leaf on it.

_This guy must be Tom Nook. _I thought, but before I could get a word in otherwise, he spoke again.

"Yes, yes, I've been hearing so much about you!" He gushed, "Welcome to GemCity! My name is Tom Nook, and I run a shop here in town. I look forward to you working there, hm? So how was the house, hm? You are very much liking it, yes?"

"It's okay, I guess." I answered truthfully.

"Good, good, so you'll be paying off this house soon, yes?" He asked expectantly.

"I hope so." I answered. "Is all that stuff in there mine?"

"Yes, yes, of course. The box and light come with all houses, and think of the CD player as a moving in gift from me, hm?" He mumbled something under his breath.

"Come again?" I asked.

"Oh nothing. You did see the attic, yes?"

"Uh, no."

"Well, that's ok. There's a bed in the attic, along with a telephone. Although, if you want to contact your parents, I would suggest writing a letter, seeing as phone bills can get expensive. Just a tip." Tom Nook added, smiling, although it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"OK. When do I start working for you, to pay off my house?" I asked.

"Tomorrow." He nodded. "So be sure to rest up in that attic, yes?" He only paused a second, so I couldn't answer. "OK, see you tomorrow."

With that, my new employer left.

So now, Journal, we are here today. Honestly, I'm going to tell you that not that much really happened today. I woke up and left for Tom Nook's. Using my map, I found it rather easily. He told me the first thing I needed to do was introduce myself to everyone. So that is what I did. I ran around to every house, introducing myself, answering questions, and gathering opinions on the citizens of GemCity.

The first villager I met was Yuka. She was a dark blue koala wearing a yellow plaid shirt.

"Is plaid in season right now, or something?" I asked her, remembering Lolly's shirt.

"Oh, of course, darling, tsk tsk. I'm _always _up to speed on what's hot and what's not." Yuka replied.

The second villager was Pierce. He was an extremely buff white-and-blue eagle, so buff to the point that it was almost disgusting.

His yellow eyes peered me down as he said, "You have arms like noodles, Hawkeye."

With him was his "friend" although I observed that they had nothing in common. His name was Chester, and he was a rather plump panda bear with rosy cheeks.

"Don't insult the poor girl!" He exclaimed to Pierce, "She's kinda cute, rookie!" He added quietly.

I was thoroughly disgusted.

The final villager was a wolf by the name of Lobo. From the looks on the faces of both Pierce and Chester when I asked them where he lived, he was not the kindest bird in the flock- or in this case- villager in GemCity.

"You don't wanna mess with Lobo." Chester warned, "He'll swallow you without chewing! I mean, how scary is that, rookie!"

"Yeah, someone as tiny as you doesn't stand a chance against Lobo, hawkeye." Pierce added.

"Yeah sure." I replied sarcastically.

But I was still a little nervous as I knocked on Lobo's door.

"He-hello?" I called.

I heard a slam from inside and jumped. The door opened.

"Whaddya want." Growled the wolf in the door, Lobo. He was black with a graying muzzle and graying fur. But the scariest part of him was his glowing yellow eyes that seemed to stare right into your soul.

"H-hi, I'm Gilly." I stuck out a shaky hand.

"Hm. Lobo, ah-roo." He grumbled, and slammed the door in my face.

You can imagine my thoughts on him.

After that, Tom Nook guided me through a couple of other mundane tasks. Mostly delivering items and such. After delivering the third item, I came back out of breath.

"OK, you're done." Tom Nook said.

"Alright." I said, relieved. "What time should I come back tomorrow?"

"Hm? Oh, don't come tomorrow." He replied.

"Huh?" I asked.

"You're done. No need to work for me anymore. I took 1,400 bells off your debt."

"B-but…How am I going to pay off the other 18,400 bells?" I exclaimed.

"Just pick fruit, catch fish, catch bugs, etcetera and sell them to me." He remarked.

"But…that'll take forever!" I protested.

"Then you better start now." He said, "I sell plenty of fishing rods in the back."

And that was my first and last day of work.

I'm seriously thinking of giving up, journal! But I have five days left until my mom will let me come back home, and I'm worried I'll starve by then!

Well, at least there are plenty of apples here.

Freaking Out,

Gilly


	3. Silver Lining

**This has probably been my favorite chapter to write yet, because I love Nibbles and Lolly.**

**The song lyrics towards the end of her journal entry are the english lyrics for K.K. Love Song by none other than K.K. Slider. Yes, and an important character is introduced in this chapter. Pay attention ;)**

**And also, enjoy!**

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><p>July 16th, 2011<p>

Dear Journal,

Sometimes, people can be surprising. In the same way, the animals of GemCity are extremely surprising. I believe today was an excellent example of how sometimes when you least expect it there is a silver lining.

I woke up this morning feeling terrible. After all, I had barely slept a wink, since a cricket had somehow found its way into the attic where I slept, and it decided to put on a concert for me while I tried to go to bed.

Needless to say, I wasn't in that great of a mood.

I felt hopeless- how was I going to pay off my loan?

Sleepily, I drew myself out of my bed and rested my feet on the hard wooden floor. I peered at the old telephone sitting on the wooden table in the room and I thought about calling my parents. Then I remembered Tom Nook's warning: _"__if you want to contact your parents, I would suggest writing a letter, seeing as phone bills can get expensive."_

As if things couldn't get any worse.

I got out of bed and changed into my regular clothes. I ran a brush through my tangled brown hair and tied it back into a ponytail. Then I turned around and stared hard at the rickety old fishing rod sitting in the corner of the room. I remembered using a fishing rod once, five years ago, on a family camping trip. I had caught a bluegill and then cried when I saw that the hook had poked a hole in the poor fish's mouth. Shaking my head and grumbling, I went downstairs and headed outside. If I was going to make some bells, I had better start now. As I came outside, my foot caught on something heavy and I fell, face-first, onto the ground.

"What the-" I exclaimed, and looked behind me.

Sitting on the ground was a large sack. It looked like it had something heavy inside- or rather- a lot of somethings. I picked it up and looked inside.

"No freaking way." I gasped under my breath.

I dashed inside, forgetting to close the door. It was a gorgeous breezy day anyway, so it didn't really matter.

I tore open the bag and began to count. After 1,000, I lost count. I started again, made it to 3,000, and lost count again. Finally I just broke down and concentrated as hard as I could.

6,000.

Not just 6,000.

6,000 of exactly what I needed.

6,000 pieces of hope.

6,000 bells.

I blinked in surprise. How had this gotten on my doorstep? Surely it was an accident! But how could you just drop that many bells? And right in front of my house…it was like someone had left it there for me.

But who?

I searched the bag for any sign of identification, looking for someone to thank, but there was nothing. No scraps of paper, no personal belongings, no nothing.

The next few minutes or so was a blur of me trying to drag the bells to the town hall to put them in the ATM. With a satisfying ping sound, the machine notified me that I now owed 12,400 bells. It didn't exactly pay off my debt, but it did something even more important.

It motivated me.

"You look happy!" Pelly remarked from her place at the civic window.

"I am happy. Someone gave me 6,000 bells." I answered.

"Oh goodness! Who?" Pelly asked.

"I don't know. I wish I did. I need to thank them." I remarked.

"Well, I'll ask around and see if anyone gave you those bells." Pelly told me.

I thanked her and left, only to be ambushed by Nibbles.

"Like, Gilly! Hey, niblet!" She cried, throwing her arms (paws?) around me.

Lolly's voice spoke up from behind the enthusiastic squirrel. "Hello Gilly. You're looking rather sunshiny today, bonbon."

"Someone gave me 6,000 bells. I can't figure out whom though. Was it either of you?" I asked them.

"Wasn't, like, me, niblet! But whoever did must have really, like, been watching out for you, niblet!" Nibbles exclaimed.

"It wasn't me either, bonbon." Lolly said, a questioning look in her eyes, "But I wish it was. Because that would mean I had 6,000 bells to spare." She giggled.

"Hey, oh, hey!" Nibbles cried, making both Lolly and I look at her in alarm. "Guess what, like, today is, Gilly! Go on, like, guess, niblet!"

"Eh…someone's birthday?" I guessed.

"No, try again, niblet!"

"Um…Saturday?"

"N- I mean, like, well, yes, but no, niblet."

I continued to think about what day it could be when Lolly gasped.

"Oh, I know, bonbon! It's Bug Off day, right? I've been looking forward to Bug Off day all week!" She exclaimed.

"Oooh, so close! Well, like, not really, but I'll tell you anyway, niblet! It's…." Nibbles paused for dramatic effect, "K.K. Slider day!"

"K.K. who?" I asked.

Lolly smiled, "Oh yeah! K.K. Slider is playing tonight at the Roost! That makes two awesome things that are happening today!"

Nibbles squealed. "I, like, totally think that we should have a girl's night, niblet! Welcome Gilly to the town and all! We can go, like, window shopping in the city and then get coffee at the Roost and watch K.K. Slider!"

Lolly smiled knowingly. "That sounds fun, bonbon. I'm in."

"Sure, I'll go too. I don't suppose you guys are going to tell me who K.K. Slider is, though." I said with a grin.

"Oh, I'm sorry we didn't answer you before, bonbon! K.K. Slider is the best musician in all of Animalkind! He's amazing! And he grew up here as a pup, so he plays here free at the Roost every Saturday night." Lolly clapped her hands, "And, until then, we can teach Gilly how to pay off that loan of hers! After all, it is Bug Off day, bonbon!"

"Bug off day?" I questioned.

"It's, like, the day where all of GemCity goes, like, bug crazy, niblet!" Nibbles exclaimed, "They hold a big contest- whoever can, like, catch the biggest, bestest, most rarest bug ever in twelve, like, hours wins!"

"Lobo has won every contest since anyone can remember. It's my dream to win one day though, bonbon." Lolly said, a dreamy look on her face.

"You like catching bugs?" I asked. Lolly didn't seem the bug-loving type.

"Oh, well I love to garden, so I see a lot of creepy crawlies out and about all the time! I kind of have to know how to catch them, bonbon! They may eat all my flowers!" Lolly cried. "I can teach you how. Then you can sell the bugs you catch to Nook to pay off your debt! It's the perfect plan, bonbon!"

"I could teach you how to fish too, niblet! I'm, like, the best there is!" Nibbles bragged.

"Okay, but slight problem. I have a fishing pole, but not a bug net." I frowned.

"Oh, that's no problem, bonbon, I know someone who can help!" Lolly smiled. "Follow me!"

Lolly led us through the trees to a clearing where a green tent was pitched. She rapped her paws against the flimsy fabric door of the tent.

"Nat!" she cried, "It's me, bonbon!"

There was a rustling coming from inside the tent and out came a monster- well, not really, but Nat really could have been. He was a green chameleon, although I figured he could change to be whatever color he wished. But his eyes- his eyes darted back and forth, never seeming to stop on one thing. They darted back and forth like the flies I had no doubt he enjoyed snacking on, seeing as he was a reptile.

"Why, Lolly! What a pleasure to see you again! How is my blooming entomologist doing?" Nat said.

"Very well, Nat. Your pointers last time really helped me out, bonbon! Now, I wanted to take Nibbles and Gilly under my wing and teach them all you've taught me." Lolly smiled at the chameleon.

"That's wonderful, dear. But I'm afraid I've never seen this young lady…a human! A strange sight here." To my horror, Nat came up face to face with me. His eyes continued to dart back and forth, but I got the creepy feeling he was still staring at me.

"H-hi. I'm Gilly." I said nervously.

"She just, like, moved here, niblet!" Nibbles added.

Nat grunted, seeming satisfied, and walked back over to face Lolly. "So, Lolly, what did you bring your friends here for? Want to turn in an interesting specimen?"

"Unfortunately no." Lolly said, sounding sad. "We came here because my dear friend Gilly here wanted to participate in the Bug Off today _so _badly!" I could have sworn she was fluttering her eyelashes here, "But she doesn't have a net!"

"Oh dear, what a shame!" Nat exclaimed. "I believe I have some nets here that I can give your poor friend here."

Nat disappeared into his tent and reappeared moments later with a butterfly net.

"Here you go, dears. It's on me." He said. "Have fun!"

As we left, Lolly explained to me that Nat was an old friend of hers and that he was usually rather unfriendly.

"He almost showed his unfriendly side to you." She giggled, "But he didn't want to make me sad, bonbon!"

"You're manipulating, getting him to give me a free net like that. You saved me 600 bells!" I remarked.

"Ah, it's no problem. Lesson time!" She exclaimed.

It was a wonderful day. Lolly was an excellent teacher, telling us all about where bugs liked to make their homes and how to approach a bug that we wanted to catch. Then, after that, Nibbles taught Lolly and I how to fish- the stylish way. And after that, we went to Nook and sold everything we had caught. Together we earned about 20,000 bells, about 6,000 from Nibbles and I, and 8,000 from Lolly. Then, they surprised me by giving me the other 6,400 bells I needed to pay off my loan.

"Are you kidding me?" I cried, "That's way too many bells to just _give _me!"

Nibbles giggled. "Some secret admirer, like, gave you 6,000 bells this morning! Don't tell us that 3,200 from each of us is too much, niblet!"

"Secret admirer? That's creepy, seeing as all the villagers here are animals, besides me." I laughed.

"You never know, bonbon…" Lolly smirked at me.

By then, it was getting late and the winner of the Bug Off contest- Lobo again- had been announced.

"Oh my gosh! Like, two hours until the K.K. Slider concert!" Nibbles exclaimed. "We need to take Gilly shopping, like, now!"

"We don't have any bells. I'm using all the bells I have for my loan, and I'm not letting you pay for anything after how much you guys gave me today." I said stubbornly as we boarded the bus to the city. "Only window shopping. That's final."

"Fiiineee." Nibbles said, sitting down on the bus seat. "But we still need to look, like, fabulous tonight, niblet!"

"I'm sure I can dig something out of my closet." Lolly said.

"I have my old church dress… but I have nothing to go with it." I thought hard.

"Church?" Both Lolly and Nibbles questioned simultaneously.

I sighed, "Never mind."

"What color is this, like, dress?" Nibbles asked.

"It's red." I replied.

"Then I have ,like, just the thing to go with it." Nibbles smiled.

We window shopped for a long time, admiring the extremely expensive dresses and accessories in the window of the GracieGrace store. All in all, it was extremely fun and it reminded me of my middle school days when I would go shopping in the city with my mom.

Something kind of strange did happen, though.

"Stop! Theif!" cried someone outside of GracieGrace.

We all looked to see what was the matter when a boy- a human boy- ran by. He was holding a blue plaid shirt. That was all I could see of him before he disappeared among the crowds of city goers.

"What is it with plaid here?" I asked aloud.

"It is, like, in style, niblet." Nibbles answered.

"Ha, kinda realized." I said sarcastically.

We returned to GemCity about fifteen minutes before K.K. Slider was due to start his concert. Nibbles picked a red flower for me and put it in my hair.

"There, niblet. That will, like, go with your dress perfectly!" She exclaimed.

We promised to meet outside the museum as soon as we got ready, and I headed back home to put on my dress. I looked at myself in a small mirror in the attic. The dress was deep red with white and black accents. I looked like I was going to a wedding-not a concert- but I didn't really care. I was so excited. I set out for the museum, using my map to guide me, and I spotted Lolly and Nibbles standing outside the museum. Lolly was wearing a white dress with a pink bow around her waist, which matched the pink bow tied around her ear. Nibbles was wearing an electric blue dress with gold embroidery. Gold bracelets jingled around her wrist.

"Hey Gilly! Ready to listen to awesome music, bonbon?" Lolly asked excitedly.

"You know it!" I replied.

We went inside and were greeted kindly by an owl who appeared to be going through some documents. Lolly and Nibbles led me downstairs and I found myself in a warm little café. Wooden tables were everywhere, and the counter was run by a rooster whom Nibbles told me was named Brewster. He was polishing a shiny cup as he took our orders. We sat down with steaming cups of coffee and turned our attention to the stage.

We weren't the only ones there either. Surprisingly, I saw Lobo sitting with another wolf. They were laughing and they seemed to be holding paws under the table. I didn't recognize the other wolf, but she was gorgeous. Her light rose colored fur and amber eyes made her stand out against the warm colors of the café.

Also there was Yuka, wearing a hip designer outfit that I remembered seeing at GracieGrace. She was sipping a coffee as well, but only small, dainty sips.

"Gilly! Look, it's K.K. Slider!" Lolly whispered urgently into my ear as a white dog entered the room. He was carrying a shiny acoustic guitar. He stepped onto the stage confidently, and pushed a stool over to the center of the stage. He grabbed a microphone off its stand and tapped on it with one of his paws. A loud _thunk thunk _sound smacked my ears as he did so.

Smiling warmly, K.K. Slider sat down in the stool and adjusted his guitar so that he could easily play it.

"Hey, my GemCity dudes." He started, "It's a groovy night for a gig, you hear?"

We cheered.

"That's what I like to hear, dudes. I'm always glad to see new cats making the scene."

I could have sworn he was looking at me as he said this, but I figured it could have just been my imagination.

"It must be you all's birthday, cus' I got you a present: The perfect song, you dig?" And then K.K. Slider began to play.

The beginning chords began to sound, and I thought to myself, _Well, he's alright I guess._

Then he began to sing.

_Love_

_It's really hard to explain_

Nibbles squealed. "This is, like, my favorite song of his!" only to be shushed by Lolly.

_Let me try though_

_It's just I really, like.. I like you._

_Love_

_It's really complicated_

_Just let me try_

_How can I say this? It's:_ _I love you._

For some strange reason, K.K.'s voice was soothing, like a lullaby. His voice didn't seem the type to be very soothing, but it was. It was nasal, but pretty at the same time.

_Wow. He _is _really good. _I thought. Plus, the words to his song seemed familiar, but I couldn't quite place where I had heard them before.

Despite the slow beginning piece, K.K. picked up the pace and played a faster tune. Then, he began taking requests. I really just wanted him to play the first piece again, but I was too embarrassed to ask.

As Lolly, Nibbles, and I left at the end of the night, I felt someone tap my shoulder. I turned around and gasped at what I saw.

"Hey, hep cat. I saw how much you dug the first song. I thought I'd give this to you, so you can get lost in the music whenever you dig." K.K. Slider was standing there, holding a CD. He handed it to me and I stared at it for a bit.

"Thanks K.K.-" I said, looking up.

But he was already gone.

When I got home that night, I put the CD in the player and listened to it, sitting on the hammock I had gotten as a moving-in gift from Megan. (Mom bought it and gave it to Megan, but she didn't like it so she gave it to me.)

I still couldn't quite place where I had heard the song before, and just as I was about to remember, I drifted off to sleep.

Silver linings do exist, Journal.

Signing off,

Gilly


	4. Running with the Pack

**Summer is almost over, guys T~T**

***is so saddddd.***

**Oh well, I still have a few weeks left. **

**This chapter was really fun to write, mostly because of the Tom Nook scene. I won't give anything away before you read it, but two characters may surprise you this chapter.**

**If you're wondering why four villagers moved in at once, it's because I kept putting off adding the new villagers, and they kept moving in in my game. I was like "Quit moving in! I have to add you to my story now!" -**

**You'll meet them in detail next chapter.**

**As always, ennnnnjooooooyyy! **

* * *

><p>July 17th, 2011<p>

Dear Journal,

I am no longer the newest resident of GemCity. In fact, I'm not even close.

Four new villagers moved in today. Yes, _four._

And I know what you're wondering. You're wondering if any of them are humans.

I was wondering that too.

I woke up this morning feeling a heck of a lot better than I did when I woke up yesterday morning. I felt renewed and rejuvenated. Also, I was so excited to pay off my loan, I ran all the way to the Town Hall. When I told Pelly about paying off my loan, she smiled and didn't ask how I had managed to make so much so fast.

"You should probably tell Tom Nook, he'll want to know." She said.

My stomach sank at this. I wasn't too fond of the sneaky raccoon. After all, he had left me unemployed in the face of a 19,800 bell debt.

Okay, 18,400 bells, but still, I wasn't too fond of the guy.

But, I wasn't one to disobey Pelly, so I headed over to Nook's Cranny. Saying I was taking my time getting there would have been the understatement of the century. When I did arrive there, I opened the door, hearing the familiar jingle of the bells that notified Nook of a customer.

"Oh, yes, yes, Hello Gilly! Long time no see!" Nook exclaimed.

"Hi Mr. Nook." I greeted, trying to sound friendly. "I have some good news."

"As do I!" Remarked Nook. "Do you want a bigger house?"

"…What?" I questioned in shock.

"A bigger house! You are planning to stay in GemCity, yes?" Tom Nook clarified.

"Well…um…" I stammered.

To be brutally honest, Journal, I hadn't thought about whether or not I would stay in GemCity. I had a wonderful time yesterday, but the whole time I hadn't spared a thought to the choice I had to make.

"You're not staying in GemCity?" Nook asked sadly.

"N-no! I mean, yes! I mean…" I trailed off. "I haven't decided yet."

"Oh, what a shame." His voice dropped in pitch, almost to the point where I didn't recognize the voice coming out of my former employer. "Nibbles and Lolly will be sad to hear you aren't staying."

"I didn't say that." I said lamely.

"You didn't say the opposite either." Nook replied.

"Is it just me, or are you acting out of character?" I asked, trying desperately to direct the conversation somewhere else.

"Am I? Well, that may be because you aren't a customer right now." He said.

"So…you lie to peop- er- animals?" I blinked.

"No." Nook replied simply. "I am simply more polite to those who buy from my shop. If you buy something, I will put on my polite face. You aren't buying something."

He grinned, almost evilly.

"Raccoons get the reputation of being sneaky. Do you believe I'm sneaky, Miss Gilly?" He asked.

"…Yes." I answered honestly.

"I see." Nook began to pace. "All raccoons are sneaky. There are no exceptions."

"Really?" I asked.

Nook smiled. "No."

It doesn't need to be said, Journal, but I was disliking him more and more with each syllable that came out of his mouth.

"No?" I questioned.

"No. Now, I already know the news you're going to tell me. Think about my offer and get back to me soon," His voice returned to its usual (Or Unusual) tone as he added, "Yes?"

"Uh, yes." I replied.

"Yes." Nook's smile was sticky sweet.

I turned to leave, but before I could step out the door, Nook spoke up.

"Oh, and, Miss Gilly? Four new villagers have moved in since you moved here. You need to check the bulletin board by the Town Hall more often, yes?"

I blinked. "_Four?_" I asked. "Are any of them-"

"Human?" He clicked his tongue. "Well, I don't know. Maybe you should check, yes?"

I ran out the door towards the Town Hall. My feet pounded the grass, my hair flew out behind me, and I couldn't stop the rapid beating of my heart. Was I no longer the only human in town?

As I approached the Town Hall, I spotted other animals, Pierce, Yuka, Nibbles, Lolly, and surprisingly- Lobo. I wondered why he could possibly care about new villagers, but he seemed excited for some reason.

"Gilly! Have you come to read the names of who's moving in?" Lolly called.

"Yes!" I answered. I walked up beside her and stared at the smiling faces of the new villagers. A mouse, a dog, a pig, and…a wolf. No humans.

"Aren't you, like, excited, niblet!" Nibbles exclaimed.

"Er…yeah, I guess." I said sadly.

"What's wrong, bonbon?" asked Lolly, a concerned tone in her voice.

"It's nothing…just, I wished one of them would be a human." I said.

"I'm sure a new human will, like, move in soon enough, niblet!" Nibbles reassured me. "Plus, for the time being, we're your friends!"

"It's just not the same…" I said, trailing off when I realized how terrible I sounded.

"…It's…not the same?" Lolly asked, hurt filling her voice. "We're not good enough?"

"No no no!" I cried, "It's just that-"

"It's just that we're, like, not good enough for you, Gilly?" Nibbles asked, the anger apparent on her face. "Well then, I'm sorry we, like, cramped your style yesterday!" And she stormed off, dragging a horrified Lolly behind her.

I stood there by the bulletin board, feeling terrible. I felt like a hole could open up underneath my feet and demons could drag me to the fiery pit under the ground for all I cared. At least that would save me from the sharp stares from the animals around me.

"What a brat, tsk tsk." Yuka muttered, leaving and tossing her head snottily.

"Tough, hawkeye." Pierce said to me, not sounding sympathetic at all.

Lobo just stood there, his piercing amber gaze staring into my soul.

"You know, kid, that wasn't cool, ah-roo." He grumbled.

"…I know." I said, sighing.

"I understand though, kid." Lobo said, his voice like a growl, making me unsure whether or not he was angry. "There's finally another wolf moving in. She's a close puphood friend." He pointed a grizzled paw towards the picture of the wolf moving in. She had fur the color of a light pink rose, with the same liquid amber eyes Lobo had.

"She's beautiful." I remarked.

"Yeah." Lobo said with a chuckle. "Yeah, she is."

He paused. "Wolves understand. We have to run in a pack. It's survival instinct, ah-roo."

"But, there are plenty of animals here!" I exclaimed.

"Sure." He growled, "But it isn't the same, is it? I'm old, but even I can tell how much Nibbles and Lolly mean to you."

"Yeah, they were my first friends here." I replied.

"Well then, I think you know what to do." Lobo said, smiling.

And I did know what to do. I ran home and fetched my fishing rod and my butterfly net. For the next two hours I ran around, catching bugs and fish and whatever else I could get my hands on. Then, I sold everything. My total came to a shocking 8,000 bells. I ran home and carefully separated them into two bags, 4,000 bells in each. I attached a note to the top of both. Then, I ran to Lolly's and Nibble's houses, dropping of a bag of bells on each of their doorsteps.

When I got home, I heard a strange beeping sound. After searching the exterior of my house, I finally figured out that the beeping was my mailbox.

"Huh, that's cool, I guess." I said, opening it up and unfolding the letter inside.

It read:

_Dear Gilly,_

_I'm so sorry that I wasn't able to write to you earlier._

_How are you, honey? I hope things are going well in GemCity? Have you been writing in your Journal? Have you read the book I gave you yet? Have you made friends? Are you having fun?_

_Since I don't want this entire letter to be completely filled with questions, I'll tell you a bit about what's going on here in the city. Your father and I are both working hard on publishing our newest book. We're thinking of doing a joint project. What do you think of that?_

_I'm sooooooooooooooooo *gasp* ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sorry for not telling you about your loan earlier. Have you paid off any of it yet? Your father got a stern talking-to when I realized he hadn't told you about your loan. He's very sorry too._

_Megan misses you… in fact she wants to write something._

_**Thanks for leaving. Geez, it took you long enou**_

_Or…not I guess. Maybe I shouldn't have given her a pen. Now I just have to cross that out. Ignore it please!_

_Love you always,_

_Mom_

_(PS: Wrote soon! I hope you stay safe, and I also hope you love GemCity!)_

I folded the letter up and smiled. My family was always the same, no matter what. I walked in my house, grabbed a pen, and began writing my reply back.

_Dear Mom, _

_Thanks for the letter. I love GemCity, and believe it or not, I already paid off my loan. If you're wondering how… well, it involves a lot of help from a few new friends. Tell Megan that __I'm glad I don't have to see her everyday anymore- I mean-_ _I miss her too. _

_I have been writing in my journal, every day in fact. I haven't yet started reading the novel you gave me, but I will, I promise. I have made friends, Lolly and Nibbles. They taught me how to fish, how to catch bugs, and how to have fun. _

_I'm having tons of fun. Is it bad, though, that I'm not too sure yet whether or not I want to stay? All of the things that have happened here in GemCity have been good, save a few small things, but I'm still having doubts. Is that a bad thing? _

_I think it'd be a great idea for you and dad to do a joint collaboration. A mystery romance- wouldn't that be interesting?_

_Lots and lots of love,_

_Gilly_

_(PS: Write soon! I hope__ you guys __stay safe, and I do love GemCity. It's so pretty and serene.)_

_(PPS: Do you know who K.K Slider is, by any chance?)_

I put my letter into a purple envelope, signed it, and stuck a pretty sticker onto the envelope flap (No licking for me! Yuck!)

I ran my letter to the Town Hall, came back, and now here I am. Writing the letter, listening to K.K's love song, and feeling tired.

I do want to stay in GemCity, Journal. But I'm not sure how good it would be for me to stay, honestly. Especially after that scary talk with Tom Nook. Is he truly everything he says he is? Or something more?

Either way, I have three days of trial GemCity. I have a feeling I'll have to figure out his motives by then.

Thoughtfully yours,

Gilly.

(PS: Did you know that PS means Post Script? An interesting fact I wanted to add.)


	5. The Collapse

**Not much to say about this one. **

**I'm going to school in two days. (.) so there will probably be fewer updates. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>July 18th, 2010<p>

Dear Journal,

Today was a strange day.

I woke up to the sound of a doorbell ringing; mine, to be more exact. I lifted my head sleepily and shuffled downstairs.

I opened the door.

"Like, Ohmigosh! Gilly, hi! Sorry for like, getting all angry yesterday but you were really mean, niblet!" It was Nibbles.

"Morning Nibbles. What brings you here so early this morning?" I mumbled.

"I figured out who gave you 6,000 bells!" She replied in a sing-song voice.

I blinked. "Really?"

She giggled. "Like, yeah!" She shoved a newspaper in my face.

I grabbed it and looked at it. "What do you want me to see?" I asked.

"I circled it in, like, yellow highlighter!" Nibbles answered.

"Oh." I said, searching the page. I located an article titled _Local Robbery at First Maple Bank_, circled in yellow.

It read:

_SATURDAY, JULY 16__TH__: Locals shopping in the City were shocked to hear that the powerful First Maple Bank was robbed of 6,000 bells yesterday. The culprit wasn't caught, but the teller on duty at the time stated that the robber was "A short, skinny boy- a human boy- with messy blonde hair." After police were called, a chase on foot went on for several minutes before the boy escaped on- surprisingly- a bus. Police suspects the culprit may be hiding out wherever this bus may have been going, but due to a delay in the bus schedules that day, Police were unable to find out where that bus was going._

_If you have any information on the culprit, please call 1-800-FIND-THIEVES and report your name, address, and any information you may know on this case._

I gasped. "The 6,000 bells I got…" I trailed off.

"Were, like, stolen! Yeah! Can you believe it, niblet?" Nibbles exclaimed. "It was, like, the weirdest thing. I didn't get my newspaper on time. Almost like the culprit, like, delayed it on purpose!" She giggled.

"Why are you giggling about this! I used stolen money to pay off my loan!" I exclaimed.

"Sorry, niblet, but it doesn't seem like that big of a problem. You could earn that much in no time, with the skill you have with, like, a fishing rod and net." She smiled.

I sighed. "I'm going to call that hotline." I ran inside, wondering how Nibbles could be so lighthearted about this. I shook my head. Sometimes I wondered about her.

I ran up into the attic and dialed the number, not caring about the "Fee". I didn't trust anything Nook said anyway.

"Hello, this is Find Thieves hotline, how may I help you?" A lady's calm voice sounded.

"Yes, I'd like to give you some information about the thievery that was reported in the Leaf City times on July 16th."

There was a pause on the other line. "Uh, we're sorry Ma'am, but that case has been closed."

I frowned. "Closed?"

"Uh, yeah. Yesterday, actually. The thief confessed and returned the bells." The woman said.

"…really?" I questioned.

"Yes, Ma'am. The thief's name was-" There was a pause on the other end of the line, "Jack Lewis. You know him?"

"No, I've never heard of him. You say he returned the bells?" I questioned.

"Yes, Ma'am. He was actually caught during another robbery the next day. At…Graciegrace in the city. Funny, eh?" The lady said.

"…GracieGrace?"

"Yeah, yeah, high-end fashion place in the City." The lady clarified.

"Can I ask what he stole?"

"A…blue shirt. Plaid. One of GracieGrace's most popular items. Plaid's in season, you know." The lady replied.

I slammed down the phone in shock.

"Uh, Nibbles? You'll never believe what I just found out." I called downstairs.

An explanation, a shocked Nibbles, a change of clothes, and a run to Lolly's house to inform her of what we figured out later, we were standing in Lolly's garden.

"Wow, so, the thief who stole that shirt in the city may or may not be the same guy who gave you 6,000 bells, bonbon? Wowzers." Lolly said. She was holding a watering can, the flowers in her garden swaying in the morning breeze.

"It's probably not the same guy, after all, he did return the 6,000 bells." I remarked. "And the last I checked, they're in Nook's greedy little paws right now."

"What if it isn't the same, like, bells?" Nibbles suggested.

"Giving 6,000 bells to a random person and then making his own 6,000 bells to repay the bank? Doesn't sound very thief-like, bonbon." Lolly said.

"True." I remarked.

"Do you, like, know this Jack Lewis person, niblet?" Nibbles asked me.

"No…" I said, thinking hard. "I don't remember anyone named Jack Lewis."

"Then why did he give you 6,000 bells, bonbon?" Lolly asked.

"He didn't. It was a coincidence, Lolly." I insisted. "Remember, he returned it."

"What if he didn't, niblet?" Nibbles said.

"But he did." I replied.

"What if it was like, fake or something? I wouldn't put that, like, past a thief, niblet." Nibbles said, shrugging.

"The bells I put in the bank weren't fake. Wouldn't the ATM reject them if they were?" I questioned.

"And I'm sure a bank would check if they're real or not before they accept them, bonbon." Lolly added.

"Look, guys. This Jack Lewis guy doesn't know me. If they are the same bells, which they're probably not, why did he give them to me? There's no reason! It must be just a crazy coincidence." I said.

Lolly and Nibbles were silent for a moment, then Nibbles agreed, "Yeah, this is making my brain,like, hurt, niblet."

Lolly giggled. "Yeah Nibbles, my brain hurts too, bonbon."

"Oooh, ooh! I know, I know!" Nibbles cried, hopping up and down. "Let's, like, go to the museum today!"

"The museum?" I questioned.

"Yeah, we went there to see K.K. Slider, remember?" Lolly answered.

"Oh yeah. What kind of stuff do they have at the museum?" I asked.

"Fossils and bugs and fish and paintings and owls!" Nibbles squealed.

"…Owls?" I blinked.

"Two owls run the place. They're siblings." Lolly clarified.

"Oh, well. Let's check it out then."

We headed over to the museum, strolling and chatting, admiring the beautiful weather. The museum was great, although I have to say that Blathers was a bit strange. He was asleep when we came in, and when Lolly gently awoke him, I discovered he liked putting "Eh, wot?" at the end of his sentences. His sister Luna was much less strange, showing us the constellations that were currently in the sky over GemCity and offering us hot chocolate, which we refused since it was already warm outside.

"Alright, what should we do next?" Lolly asked.

"Like, fish, niblet!" Nibbles cried.

"Ok, fish it is then." Lolly smirked.

"I kind of want to see the fossils." I said.

"Oh, well then, you can go on your own and we'll catch up to you later, bonbon." Lolly said.

"OK." I replied.

I headed for Fossil Hall, and spotting the door to it, I entered it.

My footsteps echoed loudly in the silent hall. It was almost eerie how silent it was in the hall. The fossils on the displays grinned toothy grins at me as I passed them, admiring each one.

As I stopped to read a plaque, I heard a loud snap. I was so startled, I jumped into the air, my eyes widening. I whirled around, trying to find the culprit of the sound, but I didn't see a thing.

Suddenly, I heard someone yell, "Hey, you! Watch out!"

I looked around, confused, when I realized what I was to watch out for.

A second too late.

The fossil I had been looking at, a huge , toppled down behind me, the bones snapping as they smacked against each other. I was about to be squashed by an extinct dinosaur.

I stared at the bones coming towards me and thought, _Well, this is gonna hurt. _I squeezed my eyes shut and felt something hit me, hard…from the side.

"Wha-"I cried as I flew to the side, out of harm's way and against a wall.

The bones settled into a big pile that didn't look anything like a dinosaur. I blinked away the stars and saw a figure standing over me.

"Geez, get your ears checked, lady. Didn't you hear that the snap was in front of you, not behind?"

"I-I'm sorry." I said, still a little dazed.

"Don't apologize to me, stupid." The figure barked back.

"Hey, don't call me-" My voice trailed off as my vision cleared.

I heard more footsteps as Lolly and Nibbles ran in.

"Gilly? We heard a noise and-" Lolly gasped.

"OMG, it's, like, Jack Lewis!" Nibbles cried, pointing to the figure.

Yeah, Journal, that's right. Jack Lewis. Funny how the world works.

I'm sure you're wondering how we knew it was him. It could have been that he was a "A short, skinny boy- a human boy- with messy blonde hair," or maybe it was the fact that we all had been thinking of this mysterious Jack Lewis guy and now that a boy who looked like his description had appeared, we immediately jumped to conclusions, but I'd like to think the reason we knew this guy was Jack Lewis was what he held in one hand.

That's right, a blue plaid shirt. With a tag that said "GracieGrace" on it in fancy cursive letters.

Jack Lewis's eyes widened, for just a split second, before the defiant look reappeared.

"Yeah? What about it?" He shot back at Nibbles, who looked terrified.

I straightened up and pointed a finger at him. "You're supposed to be in Jail!" I shouted.

"Am I?" He asked me, his eyes- a startling green- narrowing. "I didn't know that."

My voice faltered. "Y-yeah… you stole 6,000 bells and that shirt!" I said, moving my finger to the hand that he held the shirt in.

Jack Lewis paused a minute, smirked and asked. "What are you gonna do about it, huh?"

Lolly, showing an impressive display of courage, shouted, "I'm going to call Blathers, right now, bonbon!"

"Oh geez, I'm so scared. Good luck waking him up, Miss Kitty Cat." Jack Lewis replied. "While you go and do that, I might as well run, huh?" He turned casually to look at the pile of bones behind him. "Oh, and I'm still waiting for my 'Thank you', Miss." He turned his head to look at me.

"Thanks, for that and for the 6,000 bells." I said, my voice hard.

"Who said I gave them to you?" Jack Lewis replied. "I don't always work for myself."

And he ran off, up the stairs to the top floor of the museum, and disappeared.

I started after him, but Lolly grabbed my shoulder.

"He's right, we really can't do anything about it." She told me. "The police will catch him. But we aren't professionals, we'll just get ourselves hurt. We need to go to the town hall."

Nibbles still looked terrified, her wide eyes seeming to take up her entire face.

"C'mon Nibbles, let's go." Lolly said, grabbing her paw and beginning to drag her away. "We need to tell Blathers about the fallen fossil."

"How about you guys do that, and I'll report Jack Lewis to the town hall." I said. "I think Nibbles needs some rest anyway."

Lolly nodded and continued to drag Nibbles towards the main area of the Museum. I followed them and then headed outside, noticing how the sky that had once been beautiful and blue was now gray, ridden with storm clouds. An ominous breeze stirred the trees.

I started off towards the Town Hall, and when I arrived and opened the door I found it unusually crowded inside.

"Oh, hello Gilly!" Pelly called over the ruckus of the animals inside. "I'm just helping the new villagers with moving in.

I peered at the villagers crowding around the Civic desk, the pink wolf, Freya, who had been at K.K. Slider's concert, blinked her amber eyes at me and smiled. A black dog with bandages around him nodded in a friendly manor and continued writing on paperwork. A blue mouse stood over him, grunting in agreement every time he filled in a line. The final new villager was standing off to the side, looking angrily at everyone. He was a red pig with an angry face.

"Pelly, it's kind of important." I said politely.

"Alright." She said, nodding at Freya and taking her form. "Just a minute, Gilly." Pelly signed Freya's form, handed her a map, and said something kindly to her. Freya smiled and left, clutching the map in her paws.

"What do you need?" Pelly asked me.

"Well… Lolly, Nibbles and I were in the museum, when a boy we recognized as a thief who stole something in the city…" I paused, thinking "…Er, ran by. We tried to catch him, but couldn't. We think he may still be in GemCity."

Pelly frowned. "Oh, I'll report that to the Mayor right away. He should be able to call the police." Pelly excused herself and ran from the room.

The blue mouse turned to me. "Some adventure you must have had, pipsqueak. I'm Samson, and this is my buddy Lucky." He gestured to the black dog.

"Hello." Lucky said in a deep voice.

"That over there is Rasher. He isn't too friendly, pipsqueak." Samson added.

Rasher grunted.

"Oh, I'm Gilly."

"Figured, rr-owch, seeing as that's what Pelly called you." Lucky remarked.

Pelly, as if on cue, re-entered the room. "Oh, introducing yourself, are you? How nice. Gilly, I told the Mayor and he'll be on it right away."

Rasher snickered. "Yeah sure, swine, right away. That's gonna happen."

"Oh, don't be such a grump, Rasher." Samson snapped.

"Thank you, Pelly." I said, and headed out the door, my mind filled with confusion and my heart full of anger.

Signing off again,

Gilly.


End file.
